Welsh Journals

RHYDHIR UCHAF THE HISTORY OF A CEREDIGION FARM Rhydhir Uchaf is a smallholding of approximately 17 acres, situated to the North of Aberystwyth on the main road to Machynlleth (Nation- al Grid Reference SN 619 837). Its appearance is that of a typical 18th or 19th century Welsh farmhouse built of local rubble stone and heavily stuccoed. However, in 1981 when the owners removed the modern tiled fireplace in the sitting-room, they revealed a succession of fireplaces, the earliest of which was dated as 17th century by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments in Wales.1 As the farm had been part of the Gogerddan estate, all the documents and papers of which have been deposited in the National Library of Wales, it was decided that it might prove interesting to try to trace a little of its history. In fact the search revealed an interesting story of the farm set firstly against the background of the complex medieval system of land tenure; and later against the emergence and function- ing of the Gogerddan estate. The name Rhydhir means long ford', and it was one of several fords on this old merchants road. The importance of the site and its antiquity are indicated by its use as a boundary point in the Charter of 27 December 12841 in which Edward I granted to Roger Mortimer "the land of Ganerglyn, lying between Redhyr and the brook called Gogerthan and from Gogerthan to Abercandoure and thence to Helegenwendith and thence to Thlevenant and thence to Devy and so to the sea, and from the sea to Elery and so to the old mill and thence to the brook called Redepenne and thence to Redecastel and thence along the road to Redhyr"8 It has not been possible to tell how long the site has been inhabited but a deed of 4 December 1542 gives the first dateable proof of its occupation. This is a conveyance of "yr-hyd-hyr" from Griffith ap Howell ap Jevan Lloyd to Richard ap Rees ap David Lloyd i.e. Richard Pryse of Gogerddan. 5 The property then seems to have been used as a Dower Portion and was conveyed back to John Pryse, son of Richard, in 1566.6 The medieval system of land tenure in Britain was very different from that of today. From the Norman Conquest until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, all land was held either by the king, or of the king by a tenant-in-chief in fee who, in return, contributed to the Crown according to the terms of his tenure. The tenant-in-chief could let out portions of his land to mesne tenants who could in turn sub-let if they wished. If a tenant died without an heir, his lands reverted to his immediate overlord, or in the case of a tenant-in-chief, back to